The College Football Playoff Selection Committee has become one of the most divisive and controversial entities in the whole of the sport, arriving on our television screens on Tuesdays in late October to deny or approve your favorite team’s résumé for a run to the playoffs.
It could be argued that this entity is one of the most powerful in all sports, controlling the destiny of all 133 programs. Behind the public face of the committee are the individuals who come together to make the decisions. Who is on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee?
Who Are the College Football Playoff Committee Members?
There are 13 members of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, listed below with their area of expertise in the field of college football and the expiration of the term.
MORE: What is the College Football Playoff Selection Committee?
- Boo Corrigan
NC State Athletic Director, February 2024 - Mitch Barnhart
Kentucky Athletic Director, February 2024 - Chris Ault
Nevada Athletic Director, February 2026 - Mark Harlan
Utah Athletic Director, February 2026 - Chet Gladchuk
Navy Athletic Director, February 2025 - Jim Grobe
Former coach, February 2025 - Warde Manuel
Michigan Athletic Director, February 2025 - David Sayler,
Miami (OH) Athletic Director, February 2026 - Will Shields
Former Nebraska player, February 2024 - Rod West
Former Notre Dame player, February 2025 - Gene Taylor
Kansas State Athletic Director, February 2024 - Joe Taylor
Virginia Union Athletic Director, February 2024 - Kelly Whiteside
Former college football reporter for multiple outlets, February 2025
The initial CFP Selection Committee Protocol deemed that these members would be football experts tasked with upholding the principles and working toward the guiding principles that decide the College Football Playoff rankings.
The first College Football Playoff Committee members were announced in October 2013. Since then, members serve a three-year term (although there have been some exceptions).
MORE: Who is Boo Corrigan?
This creates a rotation of members with varying expertise in the arena of college football. These consist of former coaches and players, current athletic directors, and retired media member.
The final 13 College Football Playoff Selection Committee members are selected from a list of over 100 candidates submitted by conference commissioners.
The College Football Playoff Committee aims to avoid any potential conflict of interest caused by current athletic directors serving on the committee by removing athletic directors from being directly involved in the discussions that relate specifically to their teams.
Who’s the Head of the Committee?
The current head of the committee, and the face of public revulsion over perceived playoff slights, is North Carolina State athletic director Boo Corrigan. He previously served as the athletic director at Army, earning the honor of “Athletic Director of the Year” with both the Wolfpack and the Black Knights.
MORE: Who is Boo Corrigan?
While the 13 members of the College Football Playoff Committee are all involved in the decision-making process, Corrigan is the elected chairperson who is responsible for publicly explaining the decisions of the committee to the media and the general public.
As the head of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, Corrigan takes part in a cross-examination on the weekly College Football Playoff show, answering questions about how the committee came to certain decisions and explaining what might be considered egregious exclusions from the rankings.
Furthermore, Corrigan also has to take part in a post-rankings reveal media teleconference.
While not always considered a popular figure as the head of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, Corrigan has an extremely successful college football résumé.
While serving as the Army athletic director, the Black Knights earned the Commander in Chief’s Trophy in back-to-back years and won three consecutive bowl games for the first time in program history.
Although his spell at NC State is yet to replicate the same football success for the Wolfpack, Corrigan presided over the program’s first-ever national title — the NCAA women’s cross country national championship in 2021 — while placing five sports in the top four of their respective polls.
Corrigan began his two-year term as the chairperson of the College Football Playoff Committee in January 2022, replacing previous chairman Gary Barta.
